Kennedy Township

Kennedy Township is located in Allegheny County 10 miles west of Pittsburgh. Back in 1787, James Speer got a patent of land from William Penn. He built the first brick house on a farm in the area that is now Kennedy. Other notable beginnings at Kennedy were the Clever and Nolte families. The first church in Kennedy was Mt. Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1843. Gas, oil and coal mining were crucial to keeping Kennedy Township afloat. One of the most infamous coal strikes was in Kennedy—the movie Black Fury showed the story. In 1921, the first school with more than one room and a gymnasium was built. Kennedy was granted stature of first class township in 1961.

Kennedy Township is served by the Montour School District. Schools in the township include David E. Williams, Montour Elementary and St. Malachy School. The first restaurant to open in the neighborhood is the Stroll Inn. Serving up pizza, wraps, fries and homemade wedding soup, it’s still in operation today. The Kenmawr Conservation Area, located in the community, is a 60-acre wooded nature park. There’s a stream that runs through the park and it’s an unnamed tributary of Moon Run. There are also trails that cross through the valley. The park is owned and maintained by Hollow Oak Land Trust. Fairhaven Park is a large park in Kennedy with baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, deck hockey, bocce, picnic pavilions, playgrounds and more.

Kennedy Township is bordered by McKees Rocks to the east, the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Windgap and Fairywood to the southeast, Robinson Township to the south and west, and Stowe Township to the northeast.